The Knight of Vesperia
by badomens
Summary: When Yuri vanishes from the Imperial Capital, leaving Repede and his sword behind, Flynn finds that he has right to be worried. It's up to him to bring Yuri back, no matter how difficult that's going to be. Post Canon, FlynnXYuri.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: So this is the _Knight of Vesperia_. It's a much shorter fic compared to _Legacy_, only about 26k words and 8 or so short chapters that I'll trying to be posting twice a week in order to give me a little more time to get _No Such Thing as Fate_ and it's 100 or so chapters edited. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy this. It's got some of thoughts and theories I've been dwelling on since my first playthrough of Tales of Vesperia.

Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.

* * *

Chapter 1

Yuri had long since been asleep. Even with the turmoil that had rocked the world in the year since he had destroyed all the blastia to save Terca Lumireis, there was something peaceful about watching him sleep for a moment.

He had crawled in Flynn's window at some time in the early afternoon, leaving the window open behind him and he now sat, propped up by pillows on the Commandant's bed, snoring softly. His long, dark hair was a mess, moved gently by the incoming spring breeze, warm with sunlight and cool with the last bits of melting snow. It had been a long time since Flynn had seen Yuri rest like this. It was the first time in weeks they had even seen each other between Yuri's work abroad as part of the guild Brave Vesperia and Flynn's work within the Empire as the Commandant. They were an unlikely match.

They were the best of friends, even if the past five years had done much to strain and morph their relationship into something new. Flynn didn't know how to describe it. He felt so much more for Yuri, and had for a long while now, but didn't know how to verbalize it, and was unsure of how the news would be received. Knowing Yuri, there would be one of thousands of possible reactions, from disdain and avoidance, to possibly pure acceptance and maybe a little joy over the revelation. He hoped everything would be okay and Yuri would just let go and let himself be happy. Tonight would be the night. Flynn had promised himself a year ago after Yuri's disappearance at the Enduring Shrine of Zaude after his fight with former Commandant Alexei, that he would tell Yuri how he felt, and that what he wanted from their relationship was more than friendship. He had been stalling, but the secret welled up inside him every time he saw the dark haired guildsman and threatened to come out with every word.

Flynn watched Yuri sleep only a moment longer. He longed to wake the sleeping man the way one would in Estelle's fairy tales, but perhaps it really wasn't the best time for that. He settled instead for placing a hand gently on his shoulder and shaking him a little. Underneath his fingers, he could feel a lean form, never betraying the strength behind it, strength that Flynn both admired and envied.

"Yuri, wake up."

He groaned, swatting at him blindly. Flynn felt a little guilty, knowing that with Yuri's rough lifestyle and self-destructive nature, this could easily be the first sleep that the guildsman had allowed himself in days.

"Wake up."

"Is it time for dinner yet?"

"It's a while before that and you've slept through tea time."

Yuri shrugged, rolling off the pillows and arching into a cat-like stretch. He rubbed his eyes for a moment and then looked up at Flynn with his usual confident smirk. "How about a duel then? I don't want the Commandant getting rusty just because he's not in the field anymore."

"I get my practice in, but none of my sparring partners are nearly tough enough to stand up to you."

* * *

They left the city of Zaphias for the green meadows that stretched endlessly in all directions. Swords drawn and energies brimming, they fought. The fury of their blades sent sparks flying as they moved through the motions of the one component of their relationship that never seemed to fail them. They hadn't gotten to fight like this since that day at Aurnion a year before when Yuri had climbed Tarqaron and helped save the world.

In half an hour, it was all over when they collapsed into the grass, muscles aching with hot blood and adrenaline and lungs burning to breathe.

"You're still so far ahead of me."

"Well, hurry and catch up with me."

That seemed an impossible task now. Yuri had defeated Duke Pantarei and the Adephagos. His strength was beyond what Flynn could possibly attain, but that didn't stop him from trying. Once, not that long ago, the tables had been turned and it was Yuri who had been struggling to keep up. It had been that way for years, but after the incident at Zaude, and Yuri's safe return, he realized that he was no longer in the lead.

That wasn't the only thing he had realized, and for the past year he had been mulling over what it meant, for him, for Yuri, for their friendship. Tonight would be the night. He promised himself to lay bare the secret that he had been keeping for a year now no matter what sort of consequences might come. He had been waiting much longer than he intended. The rawness of it that hit when he saw Yuri alive and well at Aurnion threatened to send the secret spilling out of him in tears. After that moment passed, he cooled and calmed and somehow managed to hold it in, even after all this time.

They rose after a short time and wandered back into Zaphias. The sun had set when they reached the front doors of the palace, and rather than eat in the main dining hall, Flynn planned to have their dinner sent up to his state room, where they could enjoy it in privacy.

When they arrived, sweaty and covered in grass stains and bruises, dinner was waiting for them. Yuri needed no invitation to plop down on the sofa and help himself to the covered trays that the staff had brought up for them. Flynn asked for nothing extravagant, instead requesting a few simple dishes and a modest bottle of wine. He sat and poured the wine while Yuri looked over the food. A basic pasta dish with meat sauce, a spring salad, a light vegetable soup, and a few hunks of heavily herbed bread.

"Looks pretty good. Since when do the palace chefs make anything this 'Lower Quarter'?"

"I figured that anything too fancy would just be a hassle." He passed over a glass of wine and watched as Yuri took a sip. Flynn's fingers tapped the bowl of his own glass nervously.

"You okay?"

"Oh. Mm. I'm fine."

"I didn't wear you out too much, right?"

"I have more endurance than you give me credit for."

Yuri chuckled a little, but compared to other laughs of his that Flynn had the pleasure of hearing, it sounded a little hollow. He dropped a heaping portion of salad on his plate and began eating. At least his appetite seemed normal. "So how have things been here in Zaphias?"

"We're still working to get a stable water system in place for the Lower Quarter, as you and I both know that the creek water down there isn't terribly safe for consumption. Keeping the monsters out has still been our biggest challenge, but we're making some headway thanks to some of the researchers from Aspio. We're hoping for a viable solution before summer when the monster population increases."

"I heard this past winter was pretty harsh."

He nodded somberly. "Yes. Between monsters and disease, it's been difficult keeping the people happy and taken care of. Master Ioder was thankfully able to work out a trade agreement with Fortune's Market for the use of some of their shipping routes to make sure that there was at least enough and medicine to go around." Flynn managed to put a few spoonfuls of soup on his nervous stomach before taking a bite of his pasta.

"Kaufman's a tough one to work with. I'm pretty surprised that the little prince was able to get her to agree to anything."

"It was as simple as everyone having to work toward a common goal within both the Empire and the Union, and the protection of the people of both came first. She didn't agree to much more than the use of the routes." A year after the world had nearly fallen apart, there was still some tension lingering between the Union and the Empire, but Flynn and Ioder were doing their best to pave the way to peace, and he could only hope that the same could be said of Harry Whitehorse and Raven.

Yuri hummed a bit of a reply, moving on to the pasta while Flynn had barely touched his food at all. Nothing sat well on a nervous stomach.

"Hey, if you don't get some of this, I'm going to eat it all."

He fumbled for a moment, nearly dropping his wine glass before setting it down and fixing his own plate. A few bites steadied his hands, making it just a little easier to seem normal. He tried not to think too much about the words he was going to say. It was best to just let them come naturally, right? So he thought of other things, like how much of a relief it was just to see Yuri, and how good it was to share a meal with him again.

"The chef here's pretty good."

"He's not as good as you."

"We haven't seen each other in a few months and suddenly there's all this flattery?" Yuri sighed, leaning back into the sofa.

"It's been a long time since you've cooked for me. I miss it." /I miss you/ was what Flynn wanted to say, what he almost said, but he stopped himself just short, cursing himself as he did. If nothing else was preventing Flynn from telling Yuri his secret, it was Flynn himself.

"You used to eat it all the time. I figured you'd be sick of it."

"I could never get sick of your cooking." This conversation was going nowhere, and if it continued, they would only end up arguing. "If you're done stuffing your face, why don't we go up to the Sword Stair and do a little stargazing?"

"Sounds good to me." Yuri rolled up off the sofa, casting one of the useless cushions aside and followed Flynn out of the Commandant's quarters.

Normal citizens were not allowed access to the Sword Stair, just beyond the Emperor's throne. Even most nobles were forbidden access. During this day and age though, with the barrier blastia no longer working, it didn't matter much who went up here. In the long months since that fateful day in which all the blastia had been sacrificed in order to defeat the Adephagos, Flynn had found some little bit of joy here, because no matter how far away from Yuri he was, they were looking up at the same night sky.

The rounded dais where Yuri had once confronted Alexei, where he had fought to save Estelle, was always windy. It was so high up that it caught every little breeze, and the view allowed them to see as far as the furthest wall of the city, and beyond. But the earth was not where their eyes were focused.

Cold stone chilled his back, even through the multiple layers he wore, as they lay down on the highest platform, staring up into the night sky. It was calm and quiet up here, and for a short time, they could both forget about their troubles. The darkness of the sky was dotted with stars, spreading out into a band of shimmering specks of light. It was peaceful, but there was still a little piece of Flynn that dreaded the reaction Yuri might have to his secret.

There was no point holding back. Yuri's reaction might be unpredictable, but what good was it keeping it locked up inside to never know? But what if he reacted badly? What if those simple words drove Yuri away and Flynn got to see even less of him? What if it ruined their friendship?

But it wouldn't, right? Yuri was a mostly reasonable adult. He could handle a little pressure, and maybe it might make things awkward between them for a little while, but they had been friends for so long that Flynn stating that the way he felt about Yuri had changed wouldn't change what they already had... right?

Holding it back was only making it worse. Not knowing wasn't helping. It only allowed Flynn's mind to come up with all sorts of terrible scenarios and worst-case moments that were totally unrealistic, but he couldn't help but fear them anyway.

He just needed to hunker down and say it, come what may.

"Yuri, there's something I need to tell you."

"Oh, look. A shooting star." He pointed up to a flash of silver white streaking across the sky.

Flynn's eyes caught it as it shot through the night, just below Brave Vesperia.

"Did you make a wish?"

"Yes. You?" He had, but it couldn't tell what it was. It was a silly childhood thing he still clung to.

"Yep." Yuri sighed, his breath becoming a white cloud of steam against the dark blue sky. "I know it won't come true, though." Compared to most of the smugness and snark that came out of Yuri's mouth, that sounded unusually melancholy, almost like it wasn't his own voice saying it. It surprised Flynn so much that it forced him to sit up and look down at his long time friend.

"Yuri, are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" The smugness came back fresh and was a tiny relief for Flynn. "Of course I'm okay. What reason do I have to not be?"

"Sorry, I just-" His mouth went dry and the words disappeared. He knew the moment, and his chance, was lost. "Never mind. It's nothing."

His face felt hot. He knew that he had failed again to express the truth. He didn't know how long it would take him to get his nerve back, and likely by then, Yuri would be in Dahngrest, bogged down in all the guild work that he could manage. Who knew when they'd get to see each other again? It had been three long months between this meeting and the last, an unbearably long amount of time that wore on Flynn. The only cure had been his work, but at night, his mind wandered to dangerous places when his thoughts were all he had to keep him company. He had awoken more than one night, covered in sweat, thinking he saw Yuri sitting in his window, wearing the marvelous, irritating smirk, only to find it was his imagination, or at least once, a sizable raven roosting on his windowsill. He would be reminded of the unfathomable distance between them that Flynn felt so desperately the need to cross. If he could only get the words out, the distance wouldn't be so bad. He could live with a physical distance. An emotional one was a far stronger enemy.

It was an enemy he was going to force himself to face, sooner or later. Now. It couldn't wait any longer.

"Yuri."

There was only silence.

"Yuri?"

Still nothing.

He looked over to see his friend fast asleep, sprawled out on the paving stones. He couldn't help but smile a little as he reached over and brushed a stray lock of dark hair out of Yuri's face. "I guess it can wait until tomorrow." Flynn lay down next to him, staring into the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: To all those who said that last chapter was cute, here's hoping that you know it won't ever last with anything I write.

Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.

* * *

He woke in his own bed with a start. He wasn't sure how he had gotten there when he was positive that he had fallen asleep up on the Sword Stair next to Yuri while stargazing. He rubbed his forehead and threw off the covers. He was still in uniform. Yuri must have moved him.

The first thing Flynn remembered was his failed attempt at a confession. In fact, he had failed twice. But that memory only renewed his strength and his desire.

His hand groped for the corner of the covers, finding not linen there, but cold steel. Sitting up, he stared down at the sword beside him. It was old, the length of its unsheathed blade marred from years of use. Those years had been long ago. Flynn knew this sword, knew the shape of the handle in his grasp and the weight of it in his hand, the arc of its swing and all the memories bore in those scuffs and notches. It was his first sword, the sword that he had shared with Yuri all those years ago when that was all they had between them. As well as he knew the sword, Flynn also knew that Yuri cherished this blade, that he kept it up, polished and hanging from a pair of wooden hooks near his bed. If that was the case, what was it doing here? He didn't like the paths his mind took with that question.

He rose and dressed quickly. He left his armor on its stand. He had no need for it now. He passed through his stateroom just in time to greet the maid, who had been coming to deliver his breakfast that he had to kindly turn away. Sodia was waiting outside of his quarters, with the morning reports.

"Sir."

"Excuse me, Sodia. I have to head to the Lower Quarter. There's something I have to do."

Her face twisted into a bare grimace before she contained her disdain. She knew where he was going and who he intended to see. Flynn never could figure out why the two disliked each other so strongly and neither of them had ever said why. Eventually, he had just assumed that they were far too much alike and butted heads too often.

"But, Sir, the morning meeting..."

"I'll be back well before then. I should only be gone an hour or so." He didn't wait for a favorable reply; it wasn't coming.

The halls of the palace melted into the warm, sunlit streets of Zaphias. The steps between the Royal Quarter and the Public Quarter were no barrier for him, and further still to the ill used and poorly maintained walkways of the Lower Quarter. Those in the streets knew him, they had always known him, and greeted him just as warmly as the sun as he found himself walking at an incredibly brisk pace for Yuri's room above the Comet.

He knocked. He didn't have to. He could just walk in, but he at least tried to respect Yuri's privacy. But when no answer came, he knocked again. There was still nothing, and finally he opened the always unlocked door. But there was no Yuri.

The apartment that Yuri lived in for years wasn't empty, though. Repede lay on the bed, his head perked up with Flynn's entrance.

"Hey there, Repede." He shut the door and moved to the bed. The dog wagged at him, his tail thumping against the sheets. "Where's Yuri gone off to?"

Repede whined, a long, strained sound in his throat, and shifted his paws a bit.

Flynn didn't like that sound, or what he saw just beneath Repede. The trail of a white ribbon caught his eye, and he followed it to a lacquered black scabbard jutting out from between Repede's front paws. He reached down and Repede allowed him to grab the sword.

The Second Star was Yuri's favorite sword, a gift from Estelle after she had been rescued from Alexei. He always had it with him without fail, as he was known for causing fights and trouble most everywhere he went. There was no reason for him to leave it here with Repede. There was no reason for him to leave it anywhere. Flynn could have sworn that Yuri slept with the blade either in hand or beneath his pillow.

"Repede... did Yuri go somewhere?"

Flynn couldn't imagine Yuri going anywhere without his partner of more than five years. They went nearly everywhere together. They slept together, ate together, bathed together. There were always moments when Repede disappeared to take care of his own business, but other than those few instances, he was steadfastly at Yuri's side. The fact that he was here with Yuri's sword and no Yuri left Flynn with a sinking feeling that he couldn't shake. There was no reason for this.

He wished that he could have spoken with Repede the way Yuri did. He never quite understood how the two communicated, but they did, and Flynn was always a little envious of that, even if people looked at Yuri like he was crazy for talking to a dog like it was a human.

"Arrroooo..." Repede turned his head toward the window and whined more.

"Let's go find him." He scratched Repede behind the ears and the dog jumped off the bed to follow him out. Flynn took the Second Star with them. Depending on the reason for this sudden disappearance, he may or may not have planned to hit Yuri with it.

Down in the plaza near the fountain, he and Repede found Hanks, the de facto leader of the citizens of the Lower Quarter. Flynn and Yuri had known him most of their lives and he had looked out for them when they were children alone in the scary world. He was always happy to talk and Flynn was glad for that, because if anyone knew where Yuri had gotten too, Hanks would.

"Ho there Commandant!" He waved them over with a smile that turned grim quickly. "What in the hell is the matter with Yuri today?"

"I was just looking for him. You've seen him?"

"He left town out the Lower Quarter exit earlier this morning." Hanks tugged thoughtfully at his beard, squinting. If he had noticed something strange about Yuri's behavior, there was no doubt about it. "He wasn't acting like himself. Unnerving if ya ask me. Something in his eyes. I told him to keep out of trouble and he only smiled and waved me off. He didn't have a sword with him either, you know how the boy never goes anywhere without one. The guards warned him about not being armed, but he went anyway. It was very unusual."

"Thank you."

That cemented for Flynn the worry in his stomach. Something was very wrong, and he wasn't going to find out what it was until he found Yuri. But he had responsibilities and he couldn't just up and leave them. Being torn between Yuri and his duties, there was only one thing that he could do, so he and Repede returned to the palace.

He left Repede in his room and watched a moment as the dog forlornly padded onto the balcony and stared off into the distant wilderness of the north. At least with Repede at his side, they were definitely going to find Yuri, because no one knew his scent better.

There was still a little time before the morning meeting and he hoped to catch Ioder in his office. He walked up the flight to the royal family's quarters and he was relieved to find that he was in luck. This was going to be a difficult question to pose and Flynn had no idea how Ioder would react to the thought of him leaving the capital for any amount of time in order to find the whereabouts of his misguided childhood friend, but he had to try. Yuri would be mad about it, but Flynn had to face the fact that when it came between being Commandant and Yuri, his friend was the first and foremost.

"What can I do for you this morning, Flynn?" The future Emperor at least seemed to be in good spirits, so maybe this would go well.

"I know that my tenure in the post of Commandant hasn't been very long but-"

"No need for such formalities," Ioder smiled, steepling his fingers over his desktop. "Just come right out and say it."

And Flynn did. "I need to take a little time off. Maybe a week."

"Whatever for?" Flynn wasn't exactly the type to ask for time off, so Ioder had to suspect that it was something more urgent that a simple need for a vacation.

"To tell the truth, Your Highness, I need to go in search of Yuri."

"In search of? Has he gone missing?" He sat up a little straighter, a look of concern furrowing his brow.

"I believe so. I found both Repede and his sword left in his home this morning, and the last sighting of him is of him leaving town unarmed and acting strangely."

Ioder rocked back in his seat for a moment, eyes closed. "A moment in our time like this, your presence here is crucial. We simply may not be well enough equipped to allow you to leave on such an errand, even if only for a week."

"Your Highness, if-" Flynn cut himself off before he said something that he would regret. He was mad, but he should have expected something like this. And Ioder was right. There was so much going on that the Commandant going on leave could prove detrimental to all the work they had done. But that didn't mean that he had to /accept/ it. "I understand, but if leave cannot be given, then I will turn in my resignation effective immediately." It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

"I see. I had been wondering about that for a while now." Ioder smiled again, planting his elbows back on his desk. "Your request for leave is granted. Good luck on your search."

Flynn was stunned silent for a moment before beginning to question the surprise verdict. "But, Your Highness-"

"You're excused."

He chose to simply thank Ioder and leave rather than question it further and ruin the chance he had been given.

Now the adrenaline kicked in and he had to force himself not to run back to his quarters to pack for the journey. Worry was spurring him into action and in his mind he plotted out the course. Yuri couldn't have gotten far. It had only been a few hours, and if Flynn went on horseback, he would be easily intercepted by the time he reached Halure, if the northern part of Illyccia was his destination. There was nothing in the way of civilization to the south yet, and Repede's gaze north gave him the indication that it was the way to go. And once Flynn had found him he was going to bear his heart, and then promptly beat the crap out of Yuri for making him worry in the first place.

Repede was still waiting on the balcony, his one good eye fixed to the north. Flynn gave him a quick pat on the head as he passed toward his bedroom. The dog followed him after a moment, padding along behind him and sitting at the door as Flynn pulled out his travel pack. He didn't have much in the way of civilian clothing anymore, but he packed what he had and a few other essentials. He whiled away the time by talking to Repede.

"Don't worry, Repede. We're going to find him."

"Sir?"

Flynn jerked upright, dropping a change of clothing that he was just about to get into. He turned to find Sodia standing in the doorway of his room. She had probably knocked, but he hadn't heard that or her enter.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking a few days' leave."

"It's about Yuri Lowell, isn't it?"

He sighed. She and Yuri had never gotten along very well. "Yes, it is."

"Sir, why are you constantly wasting your time on him? You're the Commandant, and he's just some-"

"Don't finish that sentence." He turned away from her and went back to packing. Whatever she had to say about him, it wouldn't be good, and it was something that he didn't have the patience to listen to right now. "I'm not asking you to understand. Before I am the Commandant and Yuri is a guildsman, we are friends, and no matter what else, that comes first."

"You're willing to throw away your career, your chance to make a real difference in the world, just for him?" The tinge of anger to her voice wasn't lost on him.

"I'm not throwing away my career. I'm just taking a few days off."

"But if it came down to that, you would, wouldn't you? You'd throw away everything you've worked for for... for him?!"

He didn't have a reply to that. His silence would be answer enough.

"You're dismissed."

"I-"

"I am still the Commandant and you are still obligated to obey orders. You're dismissed."

Sodia stormed out, slamming the door to his state room behind her. He couldn't understand why she was so upset about this in the first place. She would see though when he returned in a few days and everything was back to normal. Her little outburst hadn't made the knot of worry in his chest fade or ease, only worsening it and building up his resolve to find Yuri even higher.

Flynn changed, leaving his uniform on a hanger in his armoire. His civilian clothing was something that he wore so little that it felt odd at first, but that feeling would pass once he was on the road and able to travel freely without everyone pointing him out as the Commandant. It would at the very least make it easier to mingle and find Yuri.

He had one of the Royal Guard see to it that his horse was prepared for a long journey, and he and Repede met the same guard with the horse at the exit to the Royal Quarter. It wasn't a long trek to Halure. He would pass through Deidon Hold. Yuri had likely taken his shortcut through the Quoi Woods, but he was probably on foot, and even with a shortcut, Flynn could catch up to him in no time on horseback.

Leaving the city behind, Flynn allowed Repede to pick up Yuri's trail. The dog had it in no time, and led the way across the planes toward the north.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: I know this chapter's short, but so is this story. I figured I'd throw this up a little early since I'm out of town starting tomorrow. I'll post chapter 4 when I get back.

Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.

* * *

Chapter 3

It was mid afternoon by the time they reached Deidon Hold, and they only stopped long enough to give Repede and the horse a rest and for Flynn to ask around about Yuri. No one had seen him, but he had expected that and he hadn't been putting his hopes on a sighting here. Once Repede had recovered, they continued on toward Halure.

Sunset was upon them as they entered the town, and Flynn left his horse tethered outside of the inn with a feedbag. He didn't check in for a room. He wanted to get going as soon as they had word on Yuri, which he hoped would be sooner rather than later.

Halure was beautiful, but he didn't have the time to appreciate it. The scent of flowers in the air, heavy and inescapable, reminded him of a time when it felt like and Yuri were playing tag, dashing to and fro between the cities on Illyccia to try and catch up with one another. For now, his body was rushing him through town, trying to keep up with Repede, whose nose was to the ground, searching feverishly for a trace of his partner. It didn't seem like he was having much luck, but it Yuri had stopped anywhere, this would be the place. He was tempted to backtrack to the Quoi Woods, cursing himself for not taking that path in the first place, but he would have to see what happened here. It was just as likely that Yuri could have stopped to camp there.

It wasn't like Yuri hadn't been out in the world before. After he had left the knights, he and Repede had wandered for a bit before returning to Zaphias, but he had never been stupid enough to go out unarmed, and the way that Hanks described him acting was still right at the top of Flynn's mind.

They paced the city and walked around the tree, but Repede wasn't picking up on anything. It was disheartening for the both of them. If Yuri was here, or had been here, Repede would know. But he wasn't the only one who would have noticed.

"Flynn!"

He turned to find Estellise standing on the porch of a little log and vine home atop a rolling green hill, waving at him. She had traded the white overdress of her regular outfit for a frilled apron over the pink dress. She dashed out to meet him and Repede, smiling brightly and looking more at home here than she ever did in the palace.

"I didn't know you were coming to Halure. You should have let me know and I would have had dinner and the guest room made up for you."

"I'm afraid I'm not here on a pleasure trip."

"Oh, business then?"

"Not exactly. I was wondering if you'd seen Yuri today?" He was hopeful, even if Repede hadn't found a trace. Maybe the scent of the tree was masking it. It was a stupid thing to hope for, and her frown only made his heart sink more.

"No, why? And why is Repede with you?"

"Yuri was spotting leaving the Lower Quarter this morning, having left Repede and his sword behind."

"What? Why would he do such a thing?" Estellise pressed a hand to her mouth, holding back a gasp of surprise. She knew that Yuri was strong and reckless, but not careless. Wandering outside of a town unarmed was a death wish and as self destructive as Yuri was and could be, and while he was perfectly capable of holding his own without a sword, as Flynn knew after numerous brawls, it was just not like him to be without one.

"I don't know, but I'm searching for him now."

This lead had been a waste of time. Perhaps the Quoi Woods would produce better results. He would need to backtrack after all. In less than a day's time, Yuri couldn't have gotten far.

"I'm coming with you." She yanked the apron over her head, balling it up in her arms. The look on her face said that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Lady Estellise, I understand why you want to come with me, but I need someone here in case he comes through. I know that if you're here and he comes through, you can reason with him, no matter what's wrong."

She didn't like the answer. He wasn't surprised. "Flynn-"

"Please, Lady Estellise. This is something that I can only trust you to do. Repede and I are going to continue on. If you perhaps see Judith or Karol, would you let them know also?"

"Of course," she sighed. "Good luck. Let us know as soon as you find him."

"I will."

Estellise crouched down and, to Flynn's surprise, Repede let her pet him. He had never been much interested in being friends with her, so he must have been wildly out of sorts with worry for his partner to allow that sort of contact. He did pull back after a few pats and flicked his tail as he went back to his search.

She sadly waved them goodbye, and once back on horseback, Flynn and Repede doubled back across the moonlit plains toward the Quoi Woods.

* * *

They ran the roads that Yuri would have. Within a few miles of the Quoi Woods, Repede caught a scent that had him speeding off in the opposite direction, with Flynn straining his horse to keep up. It had to be some trace of Yuri.

The trail led them across the plains, well past Halure, so that only the top of the tree could be seen in the distance, and Flynn cursed himself for wasting time. If only they had gone through the Quoi Woods at the start like he had expected Yuri to, they might have caught up with him by now.

By the time Repede wore himself down, it was well into the night. Flynn's horse was also well in need of a rest, so he made a modest camp off the road so that they could get some sleep. All day long, he had been able to ignore the growling of his stomach, letting his worry quench his hunger, but when they stopped, he was no longer able to avoid eating. It wasn't a smart thing to do anyway, so he and Repede split some of the dry rations that he had remembered to pack. It was hardly worth tasting, but it would sustain them until tomorrow. They shouldn't have been too far from Capua Nor now. Yuri couldn't be too far ahead of them, and as much as Flynn wanted to urge further on in the search, he too was growing weary as the rush of his anger was leaving his veins.

Repede allowed Flynn the use of his belly as a pillow, and the two lay, staring up at the night sky while the fire he had built started to dwindle. The sky was even brighter at night here than it was in Zaphias, the furthest stars drowned out by the lights of the city. Here in the wilderness, there was no light but the sky, and in spite of the fact that it was night, the glimmer of the stars made it seem as light as day.

Brave Vesperia was at his apex, and Flynn couldn't help wondering if only miles away, Yuri was looking up at it too.

He still didn't know why Yuri had run off the way he had, and Flynn was sure that no reason that Yuri could come up with would satisfy his anger. But deep inside Flynn there was still the urge to bear his true feelings. It would have to wait. Hopefully not too much longer now. They had to be close.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: We're at just about the half way mark in the story now. I hope that you're enjoying it so far. Sorry that I don't have much more to say. I don't want to give anything away yet.

* * *

Halure had proven fruitless, and in Capua Nor and Torim only sightings had been reported. Sightings were something that he was grateful for though. The smallest hint that he was going in the right direction was what he needed to keep pushing forward. He stopped only briefly in Heliord to hear of only a few more people who had spotted Yuri and now pointed him in the direction of Dahngrest. That was a sensible place for Yuri to be going.

People remembered him, the little things he had done to help them. They recognized him, even though Yuri would have preferred disappearing into anonymity. He didn't help people for the recognition or reward. He did it because that was simply how Yuri was. If someone was in trouble, Yuri couldn't sit by and do nothing. And even though he pretended not to care, the truth was that he cared _too much_. Often neglecting his own needs and safety, not to mention the law, he would rush head long into just about any situation when someone was in danger. Part of Flynn hated that self-sacrificing attitude of Yuri's; it reminded him too strongly of his father. The rest of Flynn admired it to no end.

Three and a half days on horseback brought him to the guild city, Dahngrest. If Yuri was going to be anywhere, it was going to be here, and reinforcing that belief was Repede, who was still fixed on Yuri's scent trail. Yuri had been here, and he had better still be here if he knew what was good for him.

Three and a half days on horseback gave him some of the worst saddle sore Flynn had ever known, but he did his best to walk it off as he strode into town, Repede a few paces ahead of him. But to Flynn's surprise, the trail didn't lead directly to Brave Vesperia's guild headquarters, but further through the city, to the huge red and brown brick headquarters of the Union. It wasn't too far out of place to think that Yuri had been here. He did do a lot of work for Union, and was on close terms with Raven, one of its head members.

He waited in order to see the Don. Maybe Harry had seen him and knew of his whereabouts. If not, Raven had a large network of sources that might be able to locate him. It was worth a try at any rate.

It was after the Union's meeting and other business had been adjourned for the day that he and Repede were finally allowed before the Don's presence.

Harry Whitehorse, Don of the Union and successor to the previous Don Whitehorse, was a young man, maybe the same age as Yuri and Flynn, but probably not even that old. The chair in which he sat, the chair that had been his grandfather's, was almost too large for him, but he still tried to sit there with the dignity befitting the position. Beside him on his left, stood Raven, who Flynn had once better known as Schwann Oltorain, First Captain of the Imperial Knights. But he had discarded that identity and was now only Raven, a high-ranking member of Altosk and Harry's support in the Union. He waved a little at Flynn's entrance, but said nothing.

"Commandant Flynn, whatever brings you here?" Harry's surprise was not unfounded. There was no official reason for Flynn to be here now, and out of his military garb no less.

"I'm sorry for my sudden appearance here. I am not here as the Commandant of the Imperial Knight, but simply as Flynn Scifo."

"What can we do for you?"

"I was wondering if you had seen Yuri recently."

"Come ta think of it, kid was here just the other day," Raven said, stroking his chin. "Can't quite put my finger on why, but he didn't seem quite himself." If Raven was saying that, then there was definitely something wrong.

"Yes. He stopped by to give me this." Harry rummaged around in his pocket for a moment, producing a coin-sized medal. Flynn recognized it easily as the Comrade Crest that gave proof to others that Yuri was a guildsman. "It seemed odd that he was returning it."

"Did he say why?"

"Only that he no longer needed it. He left before I could ask much more of it."

"He didn't happen to say where he was going then?"

"'Fraid not," Raven replied. "I went to the Brave Vesperia headquarters a little after he left, but there was no one there."

"And Judith and Karol?"

"From what I know, they're out on a job. Won't be back for another day or so."

Flynn had to bite back his anger. This had gotten them somewhere, but not far. They were still behind Yuri, and there was no telling where he had gone from here. There were only two places left on Tolbyccia that Flynn hadn't been to. Ghasfarost and the Manor of the Wicked, and Yuri had no reason to go to either of those places. There was no lead further and if Judith and Karol weren't in town, he was unable to ask them anything either. He couldn't run out of leads yet. Yuri couldn't be far.

"Would you mind if I borrowed his Comrade Crest for a while?"

"I don't see why not." Harry handed it over easily. "In fact I'd much rather see that he kept it. He has become a very valued member of our city."

"I'll see that he gets it back when I find him." Flynn meant that it was going to get shoved down Yuri's throat. But he sighed. He was angry, but the worry was far surpassing that, and he was only clinging to the anger because it was keeping him sharp.

He and Repede left the Union Headquarters with their meager leads and the Comrade Crest in hand. It might have been a folly, but they still stopped in the Brave Vesperia headquarters, a little building crammed into a row of others that had a black flag with their star with a halo painted on it. The door was locked and no one answered it. He knocked again, in spite of the note stating that the guild was out on work and would return in a few days time. Slamming into the door didn't make it any better, and only caught the attention of the proprietress of the bakeshop next store.

They were left with nowhere else to go now. If they had been able to get a hold of Judith, a flight on Ba'ul could take them half the world over in search of Yuri in no time, but Flynn didn't know the first place to look for Judith, and adding another person to his search list was out of the question. He and Repede would continue on alone for now.

With no other solid leads, they took to Dahngrest's docks. People came and went from here every day, so maybe someone had seen Yuri. He didn't like the possibility of Yuri leaving Tolbyccia via ship, but if the lead existed, Flynn would follow it. He would follow Yuri to the ends of the earth and then never let Yuri hear the end of it.

The docks were busy, the sound of the sea drowned out by calls from one ship to another, the chatter of sailors and merchants, the high pitched whistle that preceded the captain's first steps onto the ship. It was something that didn't change much between Dahngrest and Zaphias. Dahngrest was a big city with a bustling market and huge trade operation. There were nearly a hundred ships docked here. Going to each one was going to be a pain, but Repede's nose was a big help once more. Luckily the smell of salt air and fish and unwashed men didn't keep him from the trail.

They wove through dockworkers, careful to stay out of the way, although he did get shouted at once for getting underfoot. Toward the end of the dock, they found a very familiar ship, the bowsprit jutting out over the other docks, carved into the shape of a dragon's head. Along the gently sloping wooden bow, the name of the ship was carved, sharp, chiseled letters worn by the rough waves of sea and air. It was the Fiertia, the ship given to the guild Brave Vesperia by the head of Fortune's Market. The ship was usually attached to one of the world's lone remaining Entelexeia, Ba'ul, but this time, it was a simple ship.

Repede barked, turning his head back to the path down the docks, urging Flynn to follow.

"Hold on. Maybe there's a clue here." Flynn took a few strides up the gangplank, Repede in tow, and found the ship's helmsman, Tokunaga. He seemed to be doing some maintenance, and turned his full attention to Flynn the moment he noticed him.

"Oh, hey there, uh-" He started unsure. It wasn't like the fluffy haired helmsman had known Flynn very well, so this didn't come as a surprise.

"Flynn Scifo."

"Ah yeah, the Commandant, right?"

"Yes. I was wondering if you have seen Yuri in the past day or so."

He pondered a long moment, rubbing the back of his neck. "Now that you mention it, a buddy of mine said that he took a guy who sounded a lot like Yuri to that weird shrine sitting out in the Inner Ocean still. Said the guy paid him and asked him to leave him there. He said it was the weirdest thing."

"Zaude? But why there?" He hadn't intended on vocalizing that, but it came out all the same. This was a lead that he couldn't pass up. If it really had been Yuri, and who else would go there in the first place, why?

"He didn't say why, just that the guy didn't want him to wait."

"Can you take us there? To Zaude?"

"Uh, sure? I mean, I was waiting on Judith to get back but-"

"Please. It's urgent." It couldn't wait. Flynn couldn't wait.

"Yeah." He seemed a little more okay with the idea, even if it was very sudden. The urgency in Flynn's voice hadn't been lost on him.

Even if it wasn't Yuri, he couldn't afford to let this lead go. No normal person would go there, and why would Yuri go back? That place... that place where Yuri had once disappeared from was their target, and Flynn didn't like the implications of Yuri having gone there, alone and unarmed a second time. What reasoning could have led him there?

It was something that Flynn needed to hear direct from Yuri's mouth, and he was positive that he wasn't going to like the answer.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: Flynn has spent three chapters looking for Yuri's dumb ass and he finally finds him.

EDIT: Whoops, I forgot to remove my italics editing marks. All fixed now :D

* * *

The Fiertia skipped across the waves of the choppy Inner Ocean, and shimmering white in the light of the moon, Zaude came into view. It was a dark monument dedicated to a time that Flynn didn't want to remember, a time when he had almost lost Yuri once before. The urgency and apprehension were heavy on his neck and limbs, as they drew closer.

"The Enduring Shrine of Zaude..." The name left his lips on the harsh wind that whipped across the sea, a sea the Flynn had once scoured in search of Yuri. It was barely a year ago. "Is this where Yuri is?" He asked Repede, who hadn't budged from the bow of the ship since they weighed anchor.

His whine of a reply gave Flynn some hope that they were closing in, but he couldn't shake the lingering worry.

"Don't worry." He said that to himself as much as the dog. "We're going to find him."

Crumbling and empty Zaude awaited the sound of their feel along the once waterlogged halls. They left Tokunaga to wait outside for their return. Flynn had walked these halls once before, and he was prepared for a fight. Last time they had been here, the whole place had been inhabited by strange, nautical monsters.

Instead, these hallowed halls were empty and quiet, save the dripping of water against the stone floors. It wasn't unnerving, rather calming. As bad as his memories of this place were, he felt oddly at ease. Yuri had to be here somewhere, returned to the place he had disappeared from once a year ago for a reason that Flynn couldn't determine.

One hall gave way to the next, and finally his feet returned to the spot where he had seen Yuri that day, sword drawn and prepared to face former Commandant Alexei. Flynn's chest burned with the memories of the scar that remained from being hit by an attack in his friend's stead. He had taken that blow so easily, hot aer searing through his chest, and he would have done it again every day since then if he had to.

He held back the adrenaline with the memories that threatened to overtake him as a pain in his stomach reminded him that after he had awoken from that injury, Yuri had been no where to found. Every moment for the two weeks that followed was locked in his brain, scrambling out of bed to find his friend, the endless searching, never resting a moment, completely ignoring his duty even as the Adephagos loomed overhead. His worry was not for the Empire or the world. Only Yuri.

A few heavy steps took them to the platform that he was surprised still worked. It raised him and Repede up slowly through an endless curtain of waterfalls that surrounded them, and the night sky above them. The apatheia that had been there once was gone, falling into the sea, and probably converted to a spirit by Yuri and his party in order to save Terca Lumireis and create the glowing blade of light that Yuri had wielded in that moment to defeat the Adephagos. From where Flynn had been in Torim Harbor at the time, he hadn't seen Yuri, but he had seen the giant blade rend the World Devourer. He had been left breathless in the rain of spirits that had followed like a million shooting stars.

As the platform finished its ascent, he was left breathless once more.

There he was, standing in the light of the full moon, hair black as night, with his back to Flynn.

"Yuri!" There was relief and anger in his voice, both bubbling to the surface of that calm he had been trying to maintain, and both uncontainable.

Repede barked, and whined happily, dashing forward.

His pale face turned slowly to look at them. Something was wrong. A small half smile spread across that face, and those eyes, once charcoal grey, like a stormy sky, were now purple, gleaming with moonlight.

"Hello, Flynn Scifo."

That voice was not Yuri's. That smile was not Yuri's. Those eyes were _not_ Yuri's, but still, he knew that this was Yuri.

He drew his sword, and beside him, Repede must have taken note as well, drawing his knife from the scabbard at his shoulder.

"Who are you and where's Yuri?"

"Yuri Lowell is gone." The person before him looked up to Brave Vesperia, stark white-silver on the black curtain of night.

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

"I am Brave Vesperia, and Yuri Lowell has left Terca Lumireis. He now dwells there." Yuri's body pointed to the brightest star, and looked back to him.

His sword fumbled momentarily in his hand and he swore that he had heard that wrong. It was too unbelievable, too ridiculous that their search had brought them here to some maniac who looked like Yuri telling them that Yuri was gone. No. This had to be some sort of trick, some sort of stupid game that Yuri was playing. And if Yuri's intentions had been to rile Flynn up, his plan was a success.

"Cut the crap! We've been looking everywhere for you!" He grabbed Yuri by the collar and shook him hard for a moment, but those purple eyes never left his. The half smile faded though to a much more expressionless face. "You've had everyone worried sick!"

"I see that you don't believe me. Although, I can't say that I blame you."

Yuri never sounded like this person did, cold and distant. Yuri's voice was warm with an unquenchable flame and clear as a winter's night, and even at its softest, a little rough. The inflection of the voices, the words, were completely different, even as they came from the same mouth. Every detail of his clothing was the same, the choppy bits in his hair were the same, the shape of his eyes, the blastia bracelet, they were all the same. But Flynn couldn't believe those words. He didn't want to.

"Prove it to me."

"How?" that strange voice in Yuri's body asked. "Oh, perhaps a memory that you share would be acceptable?"

"Fine." This couldn't be Yuri. There was no way that he would be able to keep a straight face like that if this was a prank.

He pondered a moment, tilting his purple eyes up. "Yes. I think that will do." He looked back to Flynn, that half-smile forming on his lips. It seemed fake, but not in the same way that Yuri faked a smile. He reached inside his vest, and pulled out a roll of bread. "When you used to fight as children, you would make up by sharing bread-"

Flynn's hand flew on its own as his temper flared, and he knocked the bread right out of his hand. Anyone who lived in the Lower Quarter knew that. It had always been that way. It was something small and simple that they had shared since childhood. Anyone who had been there would have known that. Everyone knew that. But no one else in the Lower Quarter looked like Yuri.

"I suppose that wasn't convincing enough for you." He let out a little sigh. It wasn't Yuri's sigh. It wasn't the same. "Captain Niren once told Yuri 'Save everyone who can be saved'. His message to you was 'Protect everyone'."

"Why?" was all he could manage to ask in response.

"This has always been his fate."

"What do you mean?"

"Yuri Lowell is a shard of myself, destined to do just as the Brave Vesperia you know from legend did. Once he had completed his duty to the world, once he had saved it, he would leave it."

"I don't understand." Flynn wasn't sure that any amount of explaining would make him.

"It is the cycle of reincarnation. When I left this world a thousand years ago, so that I could watch over it while leaving it in the care of my sister, the Child of the Full Moon, I scattered shards of my existence. Every couple of generations, a creature bearing one of those pieces would appear to fulfill the duty that I could not. The piece of this generation was Yuri Lowell. Upon completing his task, I gave him one year to finish his business upon this earth before returning to me." The farfetched story was told with such calm and decorum that it was difficult to deny that it could be the truth. But that didn't mean he believed it.

"You mean... that he knew about you? About the fact that this was his 'destiny'?"

"Yes. There in the quiet of his mind, I have always spoken with him. He has never lived a day without my presence. That night that he shared with you on the Sword Stair. He knew that it was his last." Vesperia looked from the sky back to Flynn. The voice coming from Yuri's mouth chilled him.

"I... This can't be. I... I can't live without Yuri."

"You will move on. The world will move on."

"No!" He couldn't just accept that or this. "No! This world needs Yuri. I need Yuri."

Repede's whine was added to his own pleads.

"Do you think that you can change fate?" A sharpness edged that calm tone, and those purple eyes narrowed.

"If that's what I have to do to get Yuri back, then I-"

The smirk that crossed Vesperia face was a little familiar, the same clean edge that Yuri's had. "I see. Well, then I will give you a chance that no other has been given."

Within Yuri's hands, or Vesperia's hands, Flynn couldn't really decide which, a soft glow appeared, like a small star. It spun and glimmered and finally molded to a solid form. It was a vase, clear cobalt blue like the night sky, flecks of lights bouncing gold and silver off its glass smooth surface. He passed it into Flynn's hands, and the weight of it was more than he expected, staggering his step slightly.

"What is this?"

"This is a sacred vessel. With this, you will gather the pledges."

"Pledges?"

"If you can prove to me that one hundred and one people /need/ Yuri Lowell as you need him, then I will let him return. These have to be people whose lives were _changed_ by this man, and not just _saved_. They will say a pledge to that effect and the symbol of those pledges will gather within this vessel. I will allow you and Repede to add your pledges as part of the one hundred and one."

The words that he needed were flowing out of his mouth before he could tell what they were, forming in the air in front of him as a glowing golden orb. "I, Flynn Scifo, pledge that Yuri Lowell has changed my life."

With a plunk, the orb dropped into the vase, swirling at the bottom before it came to settle along the edge.

Repede opened his mouth, primed for a bark when the orb started to form with a disembodied voice. "I, Repede, Son of Lambert, pledge that Yuri Lowell has changed my life." The dog was just as confused about that as Flynn was, but the orb rolled into the vessel just the same.

"There. You only have ninety-nine left to obtain. You only have three days. Any longer, and he will be lost to you forever."

Flynn was grateful for any time and any chance, but he couldn't help but ask. "Why are you doing this?" If Vesperia really was what he said he was, what reason did he have for helping them, or listening to Flynn's pleas? He could have let them fall on deaf ears and continued his existence with no repercussions.

"Because of all the incarnations whose lives I have walked into, you are the only one to seek out the bearer of the shard."

Something about that was chilling. Of all the people to come before Yuri who apparently had the same fate, no one had gone after them? Not a single person had tried to find them, tried to change fate? But Flynn couldn't think about that now. There were bigger problems to deal with. "Thank you. We will return."

"I put my hope in you, too."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: I know things are moving fast now! Only two more chapters after this. I'll post chapters 5 and 6 to AO3 later, since I'm just about to leave for work.

Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.

* * *

Back through the halls they traversed, as fast as their feet could carry them. Three days wasn't a lot of time. Travel on horseback had taken him four days to arrive at Dahngrest, and then there further hours on the sea. But as they exited through the main passageway of Zaude, his hope was renewed a little more.

"Flynn!" Karol called from the bow of the Fiertia, now in the shade of the giant Entelexeia Ba'ul.

They dropped the gangplank and pulled himself and Repede aboard. Everyone was there, and everyone was clamoring for an answer as to what had happened to Yuri. The tale that he told them was far grander and more unbelievable than any of them had expected, than even he had expected. He gave them a few moments to take in the whole story, answering for them what questions that he could before he produced the vessel with his and Repede's pledges at the bottom.

"How do ya know this thing was tellin' the truth?" Raven asked, leaning against the outer wall of the cabin.

"It's pretty hard to know how to question someone that claims to be something of a legend," Judith explained easily.

"I will admit, his story is unbelievable, but whatever he was, he definitely wasn't Yuri," Flynn replied, watching the orbs gleam softly in the vessel. "He was something... something far removed. But he knew Yuri and he knew me. He gave me this chance, so I'm going to do what he said."

"We'll do everything we can to help you!" Karol said.

"Yes," Estellise added. "We all want to help get Yuri back."

So each of them pledged, calling out the vow that Vesperia had told Flynn, their voices forming the golden orbs that all dropped into the vessel. Even Tokunaga, who didn't know Yuri as well as they did, but had still ending up getting dragged along on their journey, added his pledge. Where there were once two, eight orbs gleamed at the bottom of the vessel.

"So where are we going first? There are lots of people we need to find!"

"And only three days to do it," Flynn added, the idea of the time constraint making this more stressful.

"With Ba'ul's help, that's plenty of time. He said that once we stop, even he will pledge to save Yuri," Judith said.

"Why don't we start in Dahngrest? There're plenty of people there who have a good opinion of Yuri we can ask," Raven said.

"Yeah!" Karol cheered, his enthusiasm apparently not dampened by this strange turn of events. It was probably part of Yuri rubbing off on him. "There's Harry and Nobis, and Kaufman, if she's in town."

"And then Zaphias," Estellise said. "I'm sure that everyone in the Lower Quarter will pledge for Yuri! And maybe some of the knights, too."

"Let's get going then. We're wasting time here." Rita still seemed disinterested, but Flynn felt like she really cared about Yuri even if she would never say as much out loud.

They all cared, and Flynn couldn't help but think that Yuri had found himself a great bunch of friends.

* * *

Dahngrest hadn't changed at all with Yuri's disappearance. Something about that was unsettling for Flynn, like Yuri could have just disappeared and no one would have noticed. But people did notice, Harry and Raven, and he was sure that others did, too. That's why they were here. When they dropped down for a landing, Ba'ul did as he said and gave his pledge also, the orb forming through a deep and bellowing voice. Nine. Nine little orbs barely filled the bottom of the glass vessel.

The Union Headquarters was their first destination. Flynn had been here only a day or so before, but he was back with renewed hope. The members of the Union would hopefully be willing to help. Yuri had done a lot to impact their lives, whether or not he would admit that.

Thanks to Raven's presence, there was little wait for them before they were able to get in to see the Union. Time was of the essence, even if Judith assured them that with Ba'ul's help, three days would be plenty of time. He didn't want to risk the possibility of failing at the task given to him.

They went before Harry, and the two remaining members of the Union, Nobis Celestial, and Mary Kaufman. Would they even believe such a wild tale? Flynn could hardly believe it himself, but that didn't make the task before him any less daunting, and him any less eager to complete it. He had no choice.

"Flynn Scifo, members of Brave Vesperia, what brings you before the Union?" Harry asked.

"We've come to seek the Union's aid," Flynn replied, the vessel tight in his hands.

"What does the Commandant want from us?" Nobis asked suspiciously.

"I come before you, not as the Commandant, but simply as Flynn Scifo, and on behalf of Yuri Lowell."

"You have word of his whereabouts then?"

How on earth was he going to explain this?

Thankfully, Estellise stepped in, speaking with the elegant passion one would expect from the princess. "Members of the Union, what has happened to Yuri is beyond an explanation that we can give you. Right now, we are fighting to save him. Please believe us when we tell you that we need your help. In the past, Yuri has helped you all out of the kindness of his heart and asked for nothing in return. What we want from you is simple."

"Out with it then, lassie," Nobis said. "What is it that ya need?"

"We would like you to pledge that Yuri has, even if only in some small way, /changed/ your life."

"That's it?" The businesswoman that was Kaufman was always on the lookout for dirty deals and things that sounded just too good to be true.

"That's all we need." Flynn finally was able to voice it. "Just a simple pledge."

"I will give you my word." Harry was the first to step forward, and followed Raven's example, repeating the pledge that Vesperia gave them aloud. "I, Harry Whitehorse, pledge that Yuri Lowell has changed my life."

With that, a tenth orb was added to the vessel. Kaufman and Nobis followed quickly, totaling up to twelve. It was a good start, but there was still a long way to go.

They walked the streets of Dahngrest, looking for anyone that Yuri had helped in his travels or guild work. Plunk after plunk, the orbs starting filling up the vessel. When they could find no one else, they looked at the tally they had come up with. Thirty wasn't many, but they were a little under one third of the way there, and the Lower Quarter of Zaphias would easily make up for the missing numbers. The sun was setting on the first day, and they still had much searching to do.

* * *

Nordopolica was distant, but worth the few pledges that they netted. Heliord was next, and Teagle, Kellas and their son Pauly readily added their promises to the vessel. Capuas Torim and Nor added a few more, increasing their number to forty. Halure and the fields beyond gave them the pledge of the mayor, Rich and Karen. Fifty. They were a little under halfway there when they reached the city of Zaphias with only a day and a half left to spare.

Flynn had found little rest. The thought of seeing Yuri, of saving him, was the only thing keeping him going. He was so weary, and his nerves a raw mess just beneath his skin. There was no time to rest though. As long as he kept going, he would be fine. He just needed to complete this one task. He was almost halfway there and time was growing short, but with luck, the city of Zaphias would be the key to filling the vessel and returning Yuri to his rightful state.

The whole event had been very jarring between Yuri's strange and sudden disappearance and the story of Vesperia when they finally found him at Zaude. It hadn't seemed real at first, like it was just some terrible nightmare that he needed to shake off and then everything would be all right. But when he woke on the second morning, vessel clutched tightly in his hands and pressed up tight against Repede, he couldn't deny what he was seeing with his own eyes.

Another unsettling topic was that Vesperia had stated that no one else had come to find the bearer of his shard. That meant that of all the people that had come before Yuri, who may have dirtied their hands or made themselves villains to save the world, no one had cared enough to seek them out after their duty had been done. That had to be a terribly lonely existence for anyone involved, to live a life like Yuri had and to have no one to turn to, no one who missed you in the end.

Fifty, and a day and half left. He was almost there.

It was a little after noon when they touched down by the Lower Quarter entrance. The morning market was breaking down, but many of the people who had known Yuri since childhood would still be around, whether working or grabbing a late lunch. The rest of the party split up, save Repede who stuck close to his side, and went to the far reaches of the city to find fifty one people who Yuri had changed, even in some small way.

Hanks was the first one Flynn found, and he couldn't have been more grateful for that.

"Hanks!"

"'Bout time you came back!" The old man smiled, revealing the gaps in his teeth. "I hope that you gave Yuri a right strong beating for the worry he caused us all."

Flynn wished it was that simple, but it wasn't. "I need your help."

"With what? What did Yuri get himself into this time?"

"It is about Yuri, but it's... very difficult to explain." That was an understatement and Flynn found himself trying to sound even half as eloquent as Estellise had when she had spoken before the Union. "I need you to call a meeting. I need everyone who Yuri's helped."

"That troublemaker?" Hanks sighed. "Ya make that sound easy, but since it's spring and all, a lot of 'em have migrated to do some work on outlying farms."

He hadn't even thought of that. He tried not to let his rage boil over. He couldn't let go of the little glimmer of hope he had. Even if a lot of the citizens of the Lower Quarter were out, there was still a chance. He could name ten people right off the top of his head he was sure would help. That was one fifth. That was a start. "Fifty people. Fifty-one. Fifty-one people are all I need. Please. Anybody."

"What's all this about?"

"Please just believe me when I say that Yuri's fate rests on fifty-one people. Please."

"I'll do what I can. It'll take me a bit to get 'em together."

"Thank you, Hanks."

Waiting around wasn't going to do much good, so he started up to the Public Quarter where Judith and Karol had headed. It was like nothing had changed since Yuri's disappearance. No one seemed to notice that the Lower Quarter troublemaker had been missing for almost a week. Flynn was certain that people in the Lower Quarter had noticed. How could they not? Even when he was away in Dahngrest or halfway across the world on work, he was a daily fixture in their lives. It wasn't always for good reasons. Yuri always thought of them, too. Flynn was certain that barely a moment passed in his day when he wasn't thinking of how the citizens of the Lower Quarter were getting on without him or about the place he never called—but surely considered—his home..

Yuri was an idiot to think that he wasn't needed any longer, that he could just give up now because he thought it was over. Well it wasn't. Not until Flynn said it was. Not until all the options and every lead had been exhausted. It wouldn't come to that. Flynn wouldn't let it. He hadn't been lying to Vesperia when he had said that he needed Yuri.

Whether or not Yuri knew it, he was a part of Flynn, a part that made him whole. Without Yuri, there was no way that Flynn would be who he was today, and vice versa. The thought of a life without Yuri, a future without him, was more than Flynn could bear. Yuri had given him this burden and Flynn couldn't bear it alone. And he wasn't about to let Yuri bear his own burden alone either.

With the help of Judith and Karol, the Public Quarter yielded a few results. A woman named Lune form the Royal Quarter, and several of the shopkeepers who still had their stalls set up for the market. Even Adecor and Boccs, who never seemed to regard Yuri fondly, gave their pledges, that they had never been in better shape as knights because of his trouble making antics. Sixty. Over halfway. The sun was getting low. One day full day left.

Flynn could only hope that Hanks could pull through for him.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: One chapter left after this!

Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.

* * *

The turn out was less than he had hoped. Far less. A scattering of people from the Lower Quarter had been assembled in the morning light. He had waited all night for this. There was just under a full day left. But thirty people were better than none. Yuri's landlady and Ted pledged. Shopkeepers and ordinary folk for whom Yuri had done a variety of tasks to while away his time pledged. Hanks pledged. Ninety. Eleven more. Surely there was enough time to get eleven more.

Hanks promised him that he would keep looking, that he would keep searching for those who had not pledged. He gave Hanks more time and started up through the city toward the palace. Most of the Royal Quarter was absolutely devoid of people who would admit that Yuri had helped them. The events with the Adephagos hadn't done much to change the minds of those who considered themselves blue bloods. It didn't stop Flynn from trying, but no one remembered him or cared.

The vessel was so heavy now, burdened by the golden orbs of those who had given their solemn word that Yuri Lowell had changed their lives. The little balls barely brushed the top curve of the vessel's form, and there was still much room below the lip. Eleven more promises. They were so close.

Judith and the others left the night before, promising to return by early afternoon, off to scour the world for anyone else who they might have missed. There was still Yumanju that could be of hope, and maybe there were Kritya in Myorzo willing to pledge also. There was still hope. There was still time.

The halls of the palace seemed so empty. Yuri rarely walked these halls, usually opting for entrance over the garden wall and up the side of the palace to come Flynn's window. But when Flynn entered his office, the window was closed tight, its dust undisturbed by fingerprints and its glass clean of smears. Through the fog of fatigue in his head, he wanted to hope that this had all been a bad dream and that Vesperia and the vessel were just a part of it, and that Yuri was simply dozing off in his bed just as he had the night before he had disappeared. They could have dinner together, stargaze together, and maybe Flynn could finally get it right this time. He could bite back his fear and his pride and tell Yuri what he had been longing to say.

His bed was empty. It was all true.

The shaking in his hands became too much to bear. Flynn set the vessel down on his dressing table rather than risk dropping it. As soon as its rain soft surface left the tips of his fingers, his anger welled up in him, hotter than ever. All the rage he had toward Yuri before, had been nothing compared to this, a roiling boil that surged through his insides, firing off his nerves and burning away his skin and sanity in layers.

"Why didn't /you/ tell me?!" He slammed his fists down on the surface of his desk. The wood creaked and popped beneath the pressure, but it was strong and held firm even through a second round of barrages. Flynn was shouting at the top of his lungs. He didn't care who heard. His rage was righteous and burning so hot that he couldn't contain it.

He tore anything off his desk that his hands could grasp, useless paperweights, books, bottles of ink, and documents. He didn't care. Anything to sate his rage. "Did you think that I wouldn't have believed you?! Did you plan on just disappearing and think that I'd just go on?! Like you were never here! Like I would just give up and let you go?! Like I never lov-"

"Back so soon?"

Flynn spun on his heel, crumpled papers falling out of his hands and his strength left with his half-quenched fury, and found Ioder only steps behind him, calm as ever, his hands folded behind his back. "Your Highness-"

"By the look on your face, I think it's safe to assume that your search did not go as you had hoped."

He had no words, his mouth dried out with them. Surely Ioder had overheard everything. Even from a floor up, there was no way that he could have missed Flynn's shouting.

"Are you going to explain what happened?"

"It's too difficult." The explanation wasn't the only thing he was talking about. He didn't want to believe that, though. He did his best to straighten himself up, to appear that he was even a little like the calm and stalwart Commandant that he should have been. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. The situation is a difficult one to explain in the time that I have left."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ioder's hand brushed up against the vase, fingers trailing tenderly down its cobalt surface. The orbs inside glistened all at once, shimmering with a soft light as his touch moved away.

"Could you-" Was it out of bounds to ask such a thing of the future emperor? But this was for Yuri's sake, and he had already told himself and Ioder that Yuri was more important than Flynn's career as Commandant, than the Empire itself. There was no point hesitating now. They were so close. Maybe Ioder would be willing to help just a little more.

"Could I...?"

"Your Highness, has Yuri done something to change your life?"

"To change my life?" Ioder mused a moment, touching the vessel again. His blue eyes looked at it, and then back to Flynn. A small smile tugged at his lips, finally winning and drawing out in full. "I suppose that he has. Yes. Yes, I would say that Yuri Lowell has definitely changed my life."

"Would you pledge that if it could mean saving Yuri's life?" The question came out in a rush and jumble of words, but Ioder seemed to understand it well enough.

"Something as simple as that? Certainly." He cleared his throat and put his hands behind his back once more. "I, Ioder Argylos Heurassein, pledge that Yuri Lowell has changed my life."

The words from his mouth formed another orb, just as the pledges of all the others had, and landed among the others with a 'thonk'. Ten. Ten more. He couldn't let his anger consume him yet. There was still time and there was still hope.

"Thank you so much, Your Highness." He started to bow, fist over his heart in the Imperial salute, but a press of Ioder's hand against his shoulder stopped him.

"Go. It looks like you still have work to do. I'm sure you don't want to keep Yuri waiting." He left without another word.

Flynn grabbed up the vessel. Ioder was right. Ten more and the others would be back soon, hopefully with more prospects.

* * *

He headed back to the Lower Quarter. Hanks had hopefully found at least a few more people. Eight more people were able to pledge, leaving Flynn with just enough room below the curve of the vase for two more orbs. Ninety-nine. Two to go. He was so close, and one of the two he needed was in sight.

Rounding out of the Public Quarter market, her arms full of brown bags of groceries, was Sodia, walking with a brisk step onto the main thoroughfare. She was probably headed back to the corner of the city that she called home, and he shouted after her.

She turned quick and sharp, fumbling to keep from dropping her bags. Even though her arms were too burdened to salute, her legs tightened, feet together, the rest of her body language showing that she would if she could. "Sir?"

"I need your help."

Something in her violet eyes lit up. "Anything, sir. Just name it."

"I know that you and Yuri haven't been on the best of terms-"

Her demeanor completely changed. That bright fire dimmed, replaced by something darker, something he had seen before but couldn't describe, something that frankly scared him a little. He didn't let that stop him.

"But I need your help to save him."

"Sir-"

"I have no one else I can ask this of."

He felt a little bad for how stern he had been with her before he left. She just didn't understand. He doubted that anyone could fully understand the depth and warmth of his feelings unless they had experienced it for themselves. When it came to Yuri, everything was fire and heat, warmth and light, even in darkness. And even if she didn't understand, she had to know how he felt. It was true that Flynn had been somewhat secretive of it, but she was sharp and smart.

When Sodia's face remained stony, he tried once more.

"Please. I can't just give up."

"You would give up everything for him, wouldn't you? Your career, your chance to change things... all for the sake of Yuri Lowell?" She couldn't even bear to look at him, but he wasn't sure why her eyes darted away quite so fast, tinged with red.

His mouth dried out as the answer left his lips. "Yes. He means everything to me."

"What do you need me to do?" The question was resigned and slow, as if she were weighing her words carefully and all the time sighing with disbelief.

"All I need is a pledge that Yuri has changed your life. Nothing more."

Her lips tightened together and paled. How difficult of a request had he just asked of her? The taut and grim look on her face made it seem what he was asked was impossible. But it had come to others so easily. No one had hesitated to offer their help.

"Sodia, what happened between you and Yuri?" It was a question that he dreaded asking and an answer that he dreaded hearing.

"I-" She bit back the answer. "I, Sodia, pledge that Yuri Lowell has changed my life."

One hundred. The next to last little orb rolled into the vessel with a plunk, leaving only space for one more. There was still time, although it was quickly growing short. One more person and they would have to rush to Zaude. He wanted to wait for the answer to his question, but there were more important things right now.

"Thank you, Sodia. It means the world to me."

She averted her eyes and a small smile graced her lips as she mumbled a you're welcome. And Flynn was off. One more person and a trip to Zaude. That was all he needed now, and as he continued toward the exit of town.

Thankfully, Ba'ul had just appeared overhead, hopefully with good news. A moment later, Estellise was rushing her way into the capital. He scanned her face as she approached, wary for any sign that might turn his mood sour, but she seemed to have only a bright smile.

"We found someone!"

"We only need one more." The vessel now was heavier than ever, but he didn't let its weight deter him. He had to gather that last promise still and make the trek up to Zaude. His goal was so close to being realized.

Together, they returned to the Fiertia, and with Ba'ul's help, they were off. The person they had found to make the last pledge was not who Flynn had expected.

"Duke?" He felt the name leave his lips on the wind as he stood facing the person who Yuri had once faced in combat, the person whose intentions had been to sacrifice all of humanity to defeat the Adephagos. And now he was here, and Flynn was hoping to get a pledge from him for Yuri's sake. He could only hope that this would work. There wasn't much time left and they were short on options.

"They have told me the story." His voice was deep and calm and ever unnerving. After everything, would he even be willing to help?

"So you'll make a pledge?"

"I have agreed to nothing yet."

Flynn felt his shoulders sink with the weight of that, but squared them solidly back.

"So, you should wish to change the plans of Fate? You want to change what has been predestined?"

"I don't care about all that." It wasn't like he hadn't thought about that, because he had. Even Vesperia had made a mention of such a thing. "Yuri always chose for himself, and so will I."

"But is this what Yuri wants?" Duke asked.

Stunned by the blow of that question, Flynn fell silent, squeezing his lips tightly closed. Vesperia had said that Yuri had always known what sort of fate he was in for. Was that true? And if it was, was he resigned to this? Did he want to come back to the world that sometimes vilified him, even if the world would have never been the same without his presence?

"I don't know." Flynn finally managed to speak, his voice sounding much rougher than usual, raw like his nerves. "But I intend to ask."

"Even if all your work might be for naught?"

"It won't be for naught, even if Yuri doesn't want to come back." Indignation and fury tinged his words, his ability to suppress it sifting away like the moment of time that they had left. "It will at the very least show him that people cared and that he made a difference. He always believed that he couldn't change anything, but this," he shook the vessel slightly and the golden orbs rolled against its sides, sounding like raindrops on a tin roof, "This proves that people need him and aren't ready to just let him go."

Duke regarded him silently a moment, his red eyes alight for the first time that Flynn had ever seen.

"Can you deny that he changed your life too? Can you honestly tell me that after everything, his presence in your life meant nothing?"

"He gave you a second chance," Estellise piped up, having been silent before while the conversation volleyed back and forth between Flynn and Duke.

"Shouldn't you return the favor?" Rita asked.

"Yuri is the reason that the Adephagos is gone!" Karol added.

"He brought us, the whole world together," Judith said.

"The kid sure did his share for this world. You know that as much as we do." Raven said.

And there was only silence for a moment before Flynn spoke once more, letting the weight of what the others said settle on Duke. "If you won't help us, we'll find another. We don't have time for this."

"Fine. I will give you my pledge. I hope that you understand the consequences of your actions."

"Thank you," Flynn said. He didn't understand what consequences Duke meant, but that wasn't going to stop him. Maybe it was selfish. Maybe it was wrong, but he couldn't turn back now. Yuri would have done the same for him. Flynn had no doubt about that.

"I, Duke Pantarei, pledge that Yuri Lowell has changed my life."

With a plunk, the final orb dropped into the vessel and the clear cobalt glass began to gleam, a silver starlight sheen playing off its smooth surface. Just over the bow of the ship, Zaude was in sight. The sun was setting into the western edge of the sea, setting the sky aflame. Time was short. But he had done it.

Something about that revelation didn't ease the weight bearing on him. He was relieved. There was no doubt about that, but there were doubts about what Duke had said. What if Yuri didn't want to come back? What if the consequences of Flynn challenging fate were disastrous? But it was too late now. One hundred and one pledges were his chance, and no matter the consequences, he was going to save Yuri. That was what he had decided.

Ba'ul dropped Flynn and Repede off at the front entrance, and flew away, with the promise to return soon. What they were going to do, Flynn couldn't say, but the adrenaline rushed his veins and pushed him into the waterlogged and shining Shrine of Zaude. Here went nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: Here's the last chapter. I hope that you've enjoyed it. There are some references to other project that I'm _sort_ of working on, but this can mostly be read as a standalone. Thanks again for reading.

Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.

* * *

Three days hadn't changed anything, but he really hadn't expected them to. The white halls were just as endless and silent, ringing only with the sound of water dripping against stone. The platform still waited to raise them up into the light of the moonrise, where they would find Vesperia in Yuri's body, waiting for their return. And waiting he was, purple eyes already turned to the platform to greet them.

A chill rushed Flynn's veins, smothering the fire that had been there. Vesperia smiled, not at Flynn, but at the vessel in his hands, still gleaming silver. Why was his mere presence so unnerving that it sent a shiver up Flynn's spine? But he still stepped forward. He couldn't back out now. This was for Yuri, and there was no time to have second thoughts. He had come so far.

"You have returned." There was something of a strange relief to his unearthly voice.

"I promised."

"And so did I. Our faith in you was not unfounded and will not go unrewarded." The smile dimmed slightly as his eyes turned to Flynn. "Do you wish to ask me something?"

Had he given that look? His eyes dropped to the platform and his brushed the back of his hand across his face, finding his mouth agape, dry and thoroughly at a loss for words. But the question was there, so fresh and hot in his mind that it burned. "What does Yuri think?"

"What do you mean?"

"Does he _want_ to come back?" He was afraid of the answer. Why should he be? Why _shouldn't_ he be?

Yuri's hand lifted his sight back into Vesperia's eyes, soft and light with warmth and sympathy. "Every shooting star for the years that he had known you, he wished for only one thing. A wish that he believed would never come true."

"What wish?"

"'_I wish that I could stay with Flynn_'."

Bitterness crept up his throat, hot and metallic like acid and blood. The tears that threatened to overwhelm his eyes were equally hot, stinging in his eyes and blurring the sight of Yuri's form in front of him. His whole body was on fire, burning with the waves of relief and pain. He didn't know what stung more: the fact that he had, even if for an instant, doubted Yuri, or Yuri's lifelong wish and suffering that Flynn had never known about. He had been stupid and blind.

His knees buckled and gave way beneath him. He could stand no more, letting the strength of the crumbling shrine support him as well. He felt Yuri's hands on his back, calloused and warm and Repede at his side, whining softly and licking his face where trails of tears burned.

Yuri's body knelt before him, pulling his watery sight up once more. Those eyes were still purple. It wasn't Yuri yet.

"Brighter than the sun, we finally met again."

"What-"

He was silenced with a kiss, chaste but with a tingling that remained on his lips even when Vesperia pulled away from it and pressed against Flynn in a warm embrace.

"Goodbye, Finch."

He tried to open his mouth, to question again, but nothing came out beyond a strangled whimper.

"The world called Yuri Lowell back. The cycle of reincarnation is broken."

Within the gleaming vessel, the orbs rattled, each glowing. Their vibrations became so great that the glass quivered and finally shattered in Flynn's hands, leaving not shards but stardust in its wake. The orbs, once solid and corporeal, floated away in a burst of tiny golden starlit flames, the light of their silvery tails leaving spots in his eyes as they pulled his still-wet vision up, his chin against Yuri's shoulder, to watch the pledges as they disappeared.

The grip of Yuri's arms loosened and the full weight of his form slumped against Flynn. Flynn could hear the pounding in his chest, the hot, living, trembling of his heartbeat. Yuri drew in a lungful of air, groaning right after, and one of his hands tightened against Flynn's shoulder.

"What-" The voice in that throat was Yuri's, clear and warm and rough. His question broke off as Flynn renewed the embrace, holding Yuri against him with a grip so tight that it should have broken bones. "_Flynn?_"

"You idiot..." The tears flooded from his eyes and a sob trembled in his throat. He wanted so much to be mad, to be filled with the righteous indignation that he thought he should be so that it would drive back at least a little the wave of relief and keep his feet rooted to the ground when the happiness singing in his blood, in every muscle and fiber of his being, threatened to wash Flynn away. Those very same things washed away every little bit of anger he had in him. It would be back later, in plenty of time to give Yuri a proper scolding but all he could do now was whimper.

Repede's noises of rejoicing were easily heard over his own, high-pitched whines as the dog struggled to wriggle his way into the gap between them. He had worked just as hard as Flynn to bring things to this end. Flynn had never seen the normally stoic dog so happy, brimming with excitement to be back with his partner.

"Flynn... Repede..."

"You idiot..." Flynn mumbled again, trying to get control of himself. "We were worried about you."

"Why are you here?"

"Did you just expect us to let you vanish?!" There it was, that righteous fire, burning away his sadness. "Did you honestly think that everyone would just move on? That _I_ would move on?"

"Sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Yuri pulled back, smiling sheepishly. His eyes were grey, dark as thunderclouds. Those eyes were Yuri's. That voice was Yuri's. This was Yuri. "Would you have believed me if I told you when we were kids that I had always heard this strange voice in the back of my head? It's a pretty crazy story, even for a kid."

Flynn sagged against the platform, unsure of how to respond beyond, "I believe in you, Yuri."

"Thanks."

"Don't think that means you're off the hook." That little bit wasn't going to sate his anger, but at least he had the sense to let it wait, let it temper to where he could deal with it properly.

"I figured." Yuri stood, a little shakily at first, but steadied himself, scratching Repede's affectionately head as he did. He leaned down, extending a pale hand out to Flynn.

Flynn took it, pulling himself up with Yuri's aid, and pulling him immediately into another embrace, just as tight, but filled with more longing than relief. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

"I love you." The words he had longed to say, that had stayed closely guarded since that night on the Sword Stair came spilling out. He didn't stop them, and didn't regret them.

Yuri's hand flexed against his back, a little tentative at the secret that Flynn could no longer keep. He leaned into the embrace, and pressed his face into Flynn's neck. "I know. I love you, too."

* * *

The corridors winding through Zaude didn't seem as endless this time. The three of them easily navigated them in a short time, bringing their steps finally up nearly to the door. They had hardly said a word between them, but their hands hadn't parted. Flynn was glad for that familiar warmth that he had worked so hard to bring back.

"How did you get here?" Yuri asked, offhandedly, scanning the ceiling of the shrine.

"Ba'ul brought me. Everyone said they'd be back soon."

"I guess I really made everyone worry."

"Arooo..." Repede replied, and dashed a few paces ahead. He turned and looked back at them impatiently. He barked to rush them along, the sound echoing across the stone and deeper into the shrine.

"I'm really never going to hear the end of it, huh?"

"Not likely," Flynn smirked. "Because as soon as I'm done giving you a thorough browbeating, I'm sure that Lady Estellise has taken second place in line. I'm sure that the others have a few choice phrases in mind also."

Yuri smiled, warm and tender in such a way that it lit a fire in Flynn's chest and drove back a tiny bit of the resolve that was keeping him on the task of scolding Yuri after all this.

"So, your promise..." He couldn't resist asking, but Yuri stopped him before the got the whole question out.

"Yeah. Vesperia always told me what my life was destined for, but I guess that never stopped me from trying. He's not a bad guy, though." Yuri paused, his step faltering a little before he picked up the pace to keep in time with Flynn.

"I got that impression."

"That night on the Sword Stair... That was what you wanted to tell me, right? That you loved me."

"Yeah."

"I knew it. _He_ told me that's what it was."

"Then why-"

"I had already resigned myself, and I still wasn't sure. If you had actually told me your feelings, and then knew mine... well, it's not important." Yuri's face flushed slightly, and Flynn knew what he was trying to say, but couldn't. It would have been a difficult decision to face his destiny resigned with a heart that knew the truth, the truth that Flynn would miss him and wouldn't let him go.

They pushed open the doors of Zaude together, and welcomed the sunrise, shining across the eastern edge of the sea. But there was more than just that there to greet them. Ba'ul and the others were there, and Repede sprinted ahead to join them, barking back at Flynn and Yuri as he dashed up the gangplank. Strewn aboard the deck of the Fiertia were dozens of people, all raising their arms and crying out for the two of them, crying out in joy for Yuri.

Yuri didn't have to ask why they were there. These were the people who had pledged for him, not all of them since the Fiertia had no way of holding a hundred and one, but those closest to Yuri and the party. People who cared, people whose lives would have never been the same without Yuri, people whom Yuri had made a difference for. They both knew that. Vesperia had said so himself, and his star shone brightly above them with his blessing. The world had called Yuri Lowell back.

He stalled a step, stunned by the sight, but Flynn pulled him forward.

"Hey!"

"Come on. Everyone's been waiting. It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back."


End file.
